The invention relates generally to the new and distinct variety of interspecific plant termed “Eckcory.” The new plant was created in my greenhouse and laboratory in Encinitas, Calif. The plant was prepared by crossing the Euphorbia pulcherrima variety “M-6,” a Paul Ecke Ranch proprietary variety, with a seedling of the uncultivated species Euphorbia cornastra. The variety was selected by excision of a newly formed embryo from a seedpod followed by growth into a plantlet on nutrient agar medium. The cultured plantlet was transplanted to a greenhouse growing-medium, where it developed into the mature plant of the invention. As the plant matured, it exhibited strong terminal dominance with little lateral branch development. To induce lateral branching, the new plant was grafted onto a “selfbranching” rootstock by application of the procedures set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,276.
The plant of the invention is distinct from the parent plants from which it was derived. For example, Euphorbia pulcherrima is a “short day” plant with respect to flower initiation, while Euphorbia cornastra is a “long day” plant. However, the interspecific hybrid flowered in response to short days and the time to full flower development was found to be a relatively short six weeks, compared to the E. pulcherrima parent that took nine weeks for flower development under the same growing environment.
The first vegetative propagation of the plant in vitro occurred in October, 1998 in Encinitas Calif. The plant was first propagated ex vitro by grafting in August, 1999 in Encinitas, Calif. The distinctive characteristics of the plant remained consistent following propagation.